Maggie Hall
Encyclopedia
Maggie Hall was a prostitute originally from Dublin, Ireland
in early Murray, Idaho
history.
family, Maggie arrived in New York City in 1873. Unable to find legitimate work, she headed out west to seek her fortune in the mining
camps until she finally ended up in the mining community of Murray, Idaho. She worked in the mining camp under the name Molly Burdan and is better known as Molly B'Damn or Molly B'Dam. On her way over Thompson Pass (Wyoming
), in the winter of 1884, she saved the life of a stranded woman and child. During the smallpox
epidemic of 1886, Hall organized the efforts to care for the sick.
Her legendary compassion led the citizens of Murray, Idaho to name their annual city celebration the "Molly B'Damn Gold Rush Days" in her honor.
She died from complications of tuberculosis
at the age of 34 (her tombstone erroneously gives her age as 35) and is interred in the Murray Cemetery.
Her tombstone reads:
|
Sacred
To The Memory Of
Maggie Hall
Molly-B-Dam
Died At Murray
Jan. 17 1888
Age 35 Years
IHS
|}
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in early Murray, Idaho
Murray, Idaho
Murray is an unincorporated community in Shoshone County, Idaho, United States.Mines operated in the area from the 1880s to the 1950s. A Northern Pacific railroad line served the community for two years during the 1910s.-References:...
history.
Molly B'Damn
Born in Dublin, Ireland into a CatholicCatholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
family, Maggie arrived in New York City in 1873. Unable to find legitimate work, she headed out west to seek her fortune in the mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
camps until she finally ended up in the mining community of Murray, Idaho. She worked in the mining camp under the name Molly Burdan and is better known as Molly B'Damn or Molly B'Dam. On her way over Thompson Pass (Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
), in the winter of 1884, she saved the life of a stranded woman and child. During the smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
epidemic of 1886, Hall organized the efforts to care for the sick.
Her legendary compassion led the citizens of Murray, Idaho to name their annual city celebration the "Molly B'Damn Gold Rush Days" in her honor.
She died from complications of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
at the age of 34 (her tombstone erroneously gives her age as 35) and is interred in the Murray Cemetery.
Her tombstone reads:
|
Sacred
To The Memory Of
Maggie Hall
Molly-B-Dam
Died At Murray
Jan. 17 1888
Age 35 Years
IHS
|}